diff --git a/Zend/zend.c b/Zend/zend.c
index 7f5257c570c..141d9bb4ad4 100644
--- a/Zend/zend.c
+++ b/Zend/zend.c
@@ -95,6 +95,10 @@ void (*zend_on_timeout)(int seconds);
 static void (*zend_message_dispatcher_p)(zend_long message, const void *data);
 static zval *(*zend_get_configuration_directive_p)(zend_string *name);
 
+#if ZEND_RC_DEBUG
+ZEND_API bool zend_rc_debug = 0;
+#endif
+
 static ZEND_INI_MH(OnUpdateErrorReporting) /* {{{ */
 {
 	if (!new_value) {
diff --git a/Zend/zend_API.c b/Zend/zend_API.c
index c199190888f..1beb76dff4d 100644
--- a/Zend/zend_API.c
+++ b/Zend/zend_API.c
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@
 #include "zend_ini.h"
 #include "zend_enum.h"
 #include "zend_observer.h"
-#include "zend_rc_debug.h"
 
 #include <stdarg.h>
 
diff --git a/Zend/zend_rc_debug.c b/Zend/zend_rc_debug.c
deleted file mode 100644
index 190fcde74c2..00000000000
--- a/Zend/zend_rc_debug.c
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,21 +0,0 @@
-/*
-   +----------------------------------------------------------------------+
-   | Zend Engine                                                          |
-   +----------------------------------------------------------------------+
-   | Copyright (c) Zend Technologies Ltd. (http://www.zend.com)           |
-   +----------------------------------------------------------------------+
-   | This source file is subject to version 2.00 of the Zend license,     |
-   | that is bundled with this package in the file LICENSE, and is        |
-   | available through the world-wide-web at the following url:           |
-   | http://www.zend.com/license/2_00.txt.                                |
-   | If you did not receive a copy of the Zend license and are unable to  |
-   | obtain it through the world-wide-web, please send a note to          |
-   | license@zend.com so we can mail you a copy immediately.              |
-   +----------------------------------------------------------------------+
-*/
-
-#include "zend_rc_debug.h"
-
-#if ZEND_RC_DEBUG
-ZEND_API bool zend_rc_debug = false;
-#endif
diff --git a/Zend/zend_rc_debug.h b/Zend/zend_rc_debug.h
deleted file mode 100644
index df033d36fa8..00000000000
--- a/Zend/zend_rc_debug.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,53 +0,0 @@
-/*
-   +----------------------------------------------------------------------+
-   | Zend Engine                                                          |
-   +----------------------------------------------------------------------+
-   | Copyright (c) Zend Technologies Ltd. (http://www.zend.com)           |
-   +----------------------------------------------------------------------+
-   | This source file is subject to version 2.00 of the Zend license,     |
-   | that is bundled with this package in the file LICENSE, and is        |
-   | available through the world-wide-web at the following url:           |
-   | http://www.zend.com/license/2_00.txt.                                |
-   | If you did not receive a copy of the Zend license and are unable to  |
-   | obtain it through the world-wide-web, please send a note to          |
-   | license@zend.com so we can mail you a copy immediately.              |
-   +----------------------------------------------------------------------+
-*/
-
-#ifndef ZEND_RC_DEBUG_H
-#define ZEND_RC_DEBUG_H
-
-#ifndef ZEND_RC_DEBUG
-# define ZEND_RC_DEBUG 0
-#endif
-
-#if ZEND_RC_DEBUG
-
-#ifdef PHP_WIN32
-# include "zend_config.w32.h"
-#else
-# include "zend_config.h"
-#endif
-
-#include <stdbool.h>
-#include <stdint.h>
-
-extern ZEND_API bool zend_rc_debug;
-
-/* The GC_PERSISTENT flag is reused for IS_OBJ_WEAKLY_REFERENCED on objects.
- * Skip checks for OBJECT/NULL type to avoid interpreting the flag incorrectly. */
-# define ZEND_RC_MOD_CHECK(p) do { \
-		if (zend_rc_debug) { \
-			uint8_t type = zval_gc_type((p)->u.type_info); \
-			if (type != IS_OBJECT && type != IS_NULL) { \
-				ZEND_ASSERT(!(zval_gc_flags((p)->u.type_info) & GC_IMMUTABLE)); \
-				ZEND_ASSERT((zval_gc_flags((p)->u.type_info) & (GC_PERSISTENT|GC_PERSISTENT_LOCAL)) != GC_PERSISTENT); \
-			} \
-		} \
-	} while (0)
-#else
-# define ZEND_RC_MOD_CHECK(p) \
-	do { } while (0)
-#endif
-
-#endif /* ZEND_RC_DEBUG_H */
diff --git a/Zend/zend_string.c b/Zend/zend_string.c
index ddb8ff1bb84..d65101e778c 100644
--- a/Zend/zend_string.c
+++ b/Zend/zend_string.c
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@
 
 #include "zend.h"
 #include "zend_globals.h"
-#include "zend_rc_debug.h"
 
 #ifdef HAVE_VALGRIND
 # include "valgrind/callgrind.h"
diff --git a/Zend/zend_types.h b/Zend/zend_types.h
index b9ac3b04cf1..c7437122de2 100644
--- a/Zend/zend_types.h
+++ b/Zend/zend_types.h
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@
 
 #include "zend_portability.h"
 #include "zend_long.h"
-#include "zend_rc_debug.h"
 #include "zend_result.h"
 
 #include <stdbool.h>
@@ -1162,11 +1161,29 @@ static zend_always_inline uint32_t zval_gc_info(uint32_t gc_type_info) {
 #define Z_TRY_ADDREF(z)				Z_TRY_ADDREF_P(&(z))
 #define Z_TRY_DELREF(z)				Z_TRY_DELREF_P(&(z))
 
+#ifndef ZEND_RC_DEBUG
+# define ZEND_RC_DEBUG 0
+#endif
+
 #if ZEND_RC_DEBUG
+extern ZEND_API bool zend_rc_debug;
+/* The GC_PERSISTENT flag is reused for IS_OBJ_WEAKLY_REFERENCED on objects.
+ * Skip checks for OBJECT/NULL type to avoid interpreting the flag incorrectly. */
+# define ZEND_RC_MOD_CHECK(p) do { \
+		if (zend_rc_debug) { \
+			uint8_t type = zval_gc_type((p)->u.type_info); \
+			if (type != IS_OBJECT && type != IS_NULL) { \
+				ZEND_ASSERT(!(zval_gc_flags((p)->u.type_info) & GC_IMMUTABLE)); \
+				ZEND_ASSERT((zval_gc_flags((p)->u.type_info) & (GC_PERSISTENT|GC_PERSISTENT_LOCAL)) != GC_PERSISTENT); \
+			} \
+		} \
+	} while (0)
 # define GC_MAKE_PERSISTENT_LOCAL(p) do { \
 		GC_ADD_FLAGS(p, GC_PERSISTENT_LOCAL); \
 	} while (0)
 #else
+# define ZEND_RC_MOD_CHECK(p) \
+	do { } while (0)
 # define GC_MAKE_PERSISTENT_LOCAL(p) \
 	do { } while (0)
 #endif
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 4793ffdf520..fcb62972381 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1723,7 +1723,7 @@ PHP_ADD_SOURCES(Zend, \
     zend_virtual_cwd.c zend_ast.c zend_objects.c zend_object_handlers.c zend_objects_API.c \
     zend_default_classes.c zend_inheritance.c zend_smart_str.c zend_cpuinfo.c zend_gdb.c \
     zend_observer.c zend_system_id.c zend_enum.c zend_fibers.c zend_atomic.c \
-    zend_rc_debug.c zend_max_execution_timer.c \
+    zend_max_execution_timer.c \
 	Optimizer/zend_optimizer.c \
 	Optimizer/pass1.c \
 	Optimizer/pass3.c \
diff --git a/main/main.c b/main/main.c
index 022f26bd5f4..95d1ad6050b 100644
--- a/main/main.c
+++ b/main/main.c
@@ -71,7 +71,6 @@
 #include "zend_ini.h"
 #include "zend_dtrace.h"
 #include "zend_observer.h"
-#include "zend_rc_debug.h"
 #include "zend_system_id.h"
 
 #include "php_content_types.h"
diff --git a/main/php.h b/main/php.h
index c3d139059c4..3385fb79992 100644
--- a/main/php.h
+++ b/main/php.h
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@
 
 #include "php_version.h"
 #include "zend.h"
-#include "zend_rc_debug.h"
 #include "zend_sort.h"
 #include "php_compat.h"
 
diff --git a/main/php_ini.c b/main/php_ini.c
index 68304f42c5d..82420fd0bc6 100644
--- a/main/php_ini.c
+++ b/main/php_ini.c
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@
 #include "ext/standard/dl.h"
 #include "zend_extensions.h"
 #include "zend_highlight.h"
-#include "zend_rc_debug.h"
 #include "SAPI.h"
 #include "php_main.h"
 #include "php_scandir.h"
diff --git a/sapi/fpm/fpm/fpm_main.c b/sapi/fpm/fpm/fpm_main.c
index 783cb200c1e..7ef0372c08e 100644
--- a/sapi/fpm/fpm/fpm_main.c
+++ b/sapi/fpm/fpm/fpm_main.c
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@
 #include "php.h"
 #include "zend_ini_scanner.h"
 #include "zend_globals.h"
-#include "zend_rc_debug.h"
 #include "zend_stream.h"
 
 #include "SAPI.h"